Date: December 20

    "I hope he isn't late," Hazel told Nico as he left her to get into Will's car.

    "He'll come in time," Nico said as he clambered into the passenger seat of Will's car. "See you soon and thanks for the tickets!"

    "You still have to make me gumbo!" Hazel shouted as Will's car backed out of the driveway and then drove off.

  Nico was right. Hazel only had to wait five minutes before a car pulled into the driveway. Frank's grandmother was sitting in the front seat and seemed to smiled slightly as Hazel approached the car. Hazel clambered into the back of the car and sat beside Frank. Frank was dressed smartly in a black suit over a long-sleeved

  His tie was gold and matched the waistband of Hazel's simple purple dress. She had chosen it because though it looked like something her grandmother might wear, it had a classic sort of charm about it that had convinced Hazel to fork over $12.17 for it.

     "I'm glad you two are finally dating," Frank's grandmother said.

      "We are?" Frank asked.

       "Of course we are," Hazel said.

       Frank smiled. His ears were red and his cheeks looked pink. Though he had begun to look more mature in the past several month, he still looked soft and vulnerable whenever he blushed. Hazel liked that about him; it made him look more approachable.

 ****

      As Frank led her to the dance floor, Hazel felt as giddy as Cinderella must have felt when Prince Charming asked her to dance. No, Hazel thought, I am more giddy. Frank was better than Prince Charming because he wouldn't forget her face after one dance. He wouldn't bankrupt a kingdom to have a servant put shoes on the feet of a woman he couldn't identify himself. 

     "What are you thinking?" Frank asked as he spun her around.

     Hazel smiled giddily as her body moved with the rhythm of the music. 

   "That you are better than Prince Charming," Hazel said, flashing Frank a smile.

     Frank blushed and looked down. Distracted, he nearly tripped and accidentally stepped on Hazel's foot. He withdrew his foot sickly and his face seemed to fall.

    "That would never have happened in a fairy tale," Frank said.

     "I don't want a fairy tale romance," Hazel said. "I want a normal one. I want one with you, Frank Zhang."

    She stopped talking. Frank was staring at her as if she was speaking a language he couldn't understand. Gods, Hazel thought, I spoke too soon. I shouldn't have let my mouth run. I said I didn't want to rush things and here I am doing just that.

     Hazel looked down at Frank's feet. She felt a hand on her face and realized that Frank was holding her chin in one hand. He caressed her cheek in his other hand.

    "I don't want a fairy tale romance either," Frank said, "and I don't want a princess by my side. I want a queen like you, Hazel Levesque."

    Hazel realized that their faces were only inches apart. She was vaguely aware that "Together Forever" was playing in the background. The music seemed to disappear as Hazel stood on her tippy toes leaned in and shared a breath with Frank.

    Hazel felt dizzy as she withdrew from Frank. Frank's kiss felt different than any other. It was soft and gentle and so very Frank. Yes, Hazel thought, he's much better than Prince Charming and not just at kissing.